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?er Fantastica!

by Jim Hall and Photos by Guy Spangenberg

Road & Track has been fortunate to have had a long-standing relationship with Alois Ruf and his company, Ruf Auto-mobile GmbH, which has recently been granted first-tier manufacturer status in Germany. In fact, it was our own Art Director Richard M. Baron and Editor-at-Large Peter Egan who came up with the name "Yellow Bird" for the legendary sunburst-colored, wickedly fast Ruf twin-turbo that hit 211 mph in our "World's Fastest Cars" cover story back in the July 1987 issue. From the get-go, Ruf's creations left an indelible impression on us, not just because of their awe-inspiring performance but also because of the excellent engineering of his custom-made components residing under the engine cover. The affable German's latest creation continues the quest to gain more jaw-dropping athleticism from Zuffenhausen's finest, but this time with a twist: the addition of bespoke hand-crafted bodywork from an Italian styling firm, Studiotorino. Based on Porsche's best-selling and exceptionally gorgeous new Cayman S coupe, Ruf's RK Coupé is a stunner, both visually and dynamically, with acceleration on par with a 997 Porsche Turbo and solid handling to boot (see Feature Editor Mike Monticello's driving impressions nearby).

While the ride height has been lowered slightly with new springs and dampers and there's a more aggressive tire/wheel package, the ride quality has not been compromised. (Our test vehicle rode on Ruf five-spoke alloys shod with Continental SportContact2 tires; the Ruf RK Coupé will come equipped with a new wheel package featuring Studiotorino wheels and Dunlop SP Sport Maxx rubber at all four corners and slightly wider at the rear). In fact, Road Test Editor Shaun Bailey says that cruising down a bumpy stretch of freeway in the RK Coupé is "more comfortable than doing so in our long-term Honda Civic Si." He also noticed that out on the test track, the car offers better control in induced oversteer situations than a Cayman S. Interestingly, the RK Coupé's tarmac-grabbing ability around the skidpad is identical to that of the stock Cayman S, but accomplished with less sticky tires. And when conditions get bad, it's nice to know that Porsche's Stability Management (PSM) is there if you need it.

The steering and throttle feel can be described in two words -- light and precise. And while brake feel and performance are excellent, the middle pedal does feel a little stiff, although it's this characteristic that aids in driver feedback.

Power for the Ruf RK Coupé comes from a massaged Porsche 997 engine (3.8 liters in displacement as opposed to the 3.4- liter flat-6 engine from the Cayman S) that features a Ruf Kompressor -- the "RK" in RK Coupé -- or what we Americans know better as a supercharger. This centrifugal belt-driven blower, with a planetary gearbox, has a max boost of 0.7 bar, or 10.2 psi. Other enhancements include Ruf-designed intake manifolds and intercoolers, sport-tuned catalytic converters and a Ruf electronic engine-management system. An electric water pump circulates cooled water between the charge cooler and a radiator in the front spoiler. Altogether, this setup boosts horsepower by a full 90 bhp over the normally aspirated 911 engine, and a whopping 145 horsepower over the standard Cayman S unit; torque is increased to 347 lb.-ft. Combined with the Ruf's relatively light weight and slight rearward weight bias (45 percent front/55 rear), this thoroughly capable powerplant accelerates the RK Coupé from 0 to 60 mph in a scant 3.8 seconds and through the quarter-mile in only 12.2 sec. at a touch under 116 mph. The engine revs freely and effortlessly, making it easy to hit the 7200-rpm limiter (there's no indicated redline).

In a collaboration with Studiotorino of Rivoli, Italy, virtually every square inch of the interior is covered by "the finest leather in all of Italy," boasts the head of the firm, Alfredo Stola. "It is the same leather found in the cars of both Ferrari and Maserati." Run your hand across its supple grain and it feels glass-smooth but obviously softer -- the same sensation when you glide your fingers across the car's sensuous bodywork (more on this in a moment). Save for the center console control panel and a small section of the door panels, everything is covered in leather, even the roof and the bulkhead behind the seats. What's more, the two-tone hides feature alternate-color stitching; lighter colored on dark leather and vice-versa. A special treat are the Tora carbon-fiber seats that are not only thin and lightweight but also very comfortable, more so than one would expect with so little padding. A rarity for carbon-fiber seats, they feature manual adjustment.

If the interior were not enough to establish the Italian firm's fine credentials, one need look no further than the RK Coupé's outer shell for more proof of its handiwork. Studiotorino has developed entirely new sheet metal, apart from the front left fender. Every section -- the roof, hood, front right fender and rear fenders -- is a handmade original, some of the changes obvious (the C-pillar side windows from the Cayman S are gone and the side vents just in front of the rear wheels have been reshaped and moved lower), some almost undetectable (the distinctive rear fender arches are slightly longer than those found on Porsche's coupe). And you thought the German manufacturer's mid-engine 2-door couldn't get any sexier!

Two other exterior enhancements of interest are the paint finish and the race-car-inspired fuel filler atop the hood. Machined from a solid billet of aluminum, the gas cap is more sculpture than a simple car part, and the round opening cut into the hood was done with laser-like precision. And that luscious Candy Apple Red paint is deep, uniform (not the slightest spot of "orange peel") and absolutely flawless. The shade was masterminded by Mrs. Stola, who says the secret is to work with a white base over the primer, followed by multiple coats of nail polish-like pink and then the red.

Corporations the world over are constantly on the lookout for another business entity that they may merge with or acquire to form that elusive synergistic partnership, one where the sum of their total parts is collectively greater than their value as separate concerns. For this collaboration between two master automotive artisans, the sum of their collective work -- the all-new Ruf RK Coupé, of which only 49 will be made -- is definitely a 1+1=3 equation.

Driving Impression:

Flying the Coupe By Mike Monticello

When Alois Ruf offered Road & Track an exclusive test of his new RK Coupé, we, understandably, jumped at the chance. Even better, he suggested we drive it up to the Pebble Beach Concours/Monterey Historics weekend for the car's world premiere. But when he informed me the car was the only one in the world, my heart skipped a few beats...thoughts of crashing a priceless car during our two-day photo shoot (along with the requisite hard-action driving impressions) left me wondering about job security; if I screw this up, will they replace me with the intern?

The temptation was there to do something silly. With 440 bhp and 347 lb.-ft. of torque, this is one powerful Cayman! The radial supercharger -- as Ruf refers to it -- provides neither the whine nor the induction noise we've come to associate with blown engines. Instead, all you hear is the sweet wail of the 3.8-liter flat-6 and Ruf exhaust, albeit with some reverberation within the cabin from 1800-2400 rpm. Power is a bit soft below 3000 rpm, but above that the RK Coupé thrusts forward with enough verve to keep all but the most devout speed demons happy. It's deceivingly quick because of the lack of a turbocharger's spike, and the power curve stays strong all the way to the 7200-rpm rev limiter.

Luckily, my worries about crashing were unwarranted -- the RK Coupé somehow combines a hard-edged sports machine with pussycat friendliness. The Bilstein suspension is a bit firmer than stock, but, compared with the Cayman, the RK Coupe feels as though a layer has been removed between it and the driver, allowing for better interaction. The car becomes more alive -- and works better -- the harder you drive it. The light front end sticks surprisingly well, while the rear has decent traction despite the extra horses. The tail will start to swap ends if provoked by braking and turning at the same time, and you can initiate a powerslide exiting tight corners if you try to, but the transition process to oversteer is more linear than in the Cayman S.

The leather-covered carbon-fiber seats provide excellent lateral support but don't have enough padding for long-haul comfort. They also require a strong effort to move fore and aft manually, while the Studiotorino pedals -- though fancy -- are slippery. Wind noise was excessive at high speed, but we're willing to chalk that up to the car's prototype status.

For sure, $245,000 is a lot of money for a Cayman; and 440 bhp may not seem like a great return on your investment. But keep in mind you're paying for an Italian work of art and German engineering beyond reproach. More important, the Ruf RK Coupé is one of the most engaging driving machines out there. It's a show car that doesn't want to be trailered, but driven to the show. And driven hard.